The Clarke Testing Center had to take on a full load of students in its first week of operation.

A little before finals week Testing Center Director John Dexter got a call from administration telling him the McKay Testing Center was closing because of sewer problems. The Clarke Testing Center would have to be the main testing center for finals week.

The testing centers usually have a main center and an overflow. In the past, the McKay Testing Center has been the main testing center while the John Taylor Building was the overflow.

For finals week the McKay center originally was to be the main testing center and the new Clarke Testing Center was to be the overflow. Thus the Taylor Building was never scheduled for finals week.

Dexter said the move was not ideal and the staff had to learn quickly how to operate the new facility. The Testing Center was able to process 350 people an hour.

“I was going as fast as I could and people were still saying to me, ‘Why is the line going so slowly?’” said Jared Mangum, a sophomore from Princeton, Texas, and a Testing Center employee.

Despite the Testing Center employees’ attempt to accommodate students, there was still a long line of students waiting to take tests.

Dexter said he had originally requested 100 more seats for the new facility, but Elder David A. Bednar denied his request. The size of the Testing Center was equivalent to the ability of the staff to put students in seats.

“It was a miracle,” Dexter said. “The number of students leaving matched the number of students receiving tests.”

Though there were many contributing factors, one of the reasons for the long lines was that students were taking tests early to get out of town sooner.

Dexter explained that students didn’t follow their finals schedules; they should take their finals during their scheduled testing hours. Communication from faculty to students concerning when to take their tests will be improved this semester.

Dexter has the ability to open tests on the hour they are supposed to be taken, but wishes to leave students with the freedom of when they take their tests. Some students honestly need to get out of town early and they should have that freedom.

The line went out the testing center doors and up to the John L. Clarke Building. It then stretched through various hallways.

Wednesday had the longest lines at the Testing Center. Students said they waited in line for an hour to three hours. Dexter said Thursday the Testing Center was more efficient; the line produced an hour wait at the longest.

Students also may have taken tests Wednesday instead of Thursday for fear that the line would become longer the later they waited. The line dwindled and was gone by 8:30 p.m. both Wednesday and Thursday.

One change with the Clarke Testing Center is that students are allowed to pick up more than one test at once. Students are not encouraged to pick up more than two tests at the same time.

“The Clarke Testing Center is very efficient, well designed, works well and with cooperation and planning, there should be no lines,” Dexter said.